Özlem Kemer AYCAN, Hilal AYDIN, Oğuzhan KORKUT
Türkiye Çocuk Hastalıkları Dergisi - 2026;20(5):348-354
Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate potential neuroinflammatory processes in pediatric migraine using hematological inflammatory indices and to examine their associations with age and gender. Materials and Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study included 90 children diagnosed with migraine and healthy control group, conducted between August 1, 2019, and August 1, 2025. Complete blood count parameters were analyzed for all participants. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and other hematological inflammatory markers were calculated. Comparisons were made between the migraine and control groups. Additionally, the migraine group was subdivided according to age, gender, and treatment status, and subgroup analyses were performed. Results: Platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio values were significantly higher in the migraine group than in the control group. In gender-based comparisons, a statistically significant difference was observed only in red blood cell (RBC) counts, whereas no gender-related differences were detected in other inflammatory parameters. Within the migraine group, lymphocyte counts decreased in the older age subgroup, while platelet counts and NLR values showed a significant increase. Among patients receiving flunarizine treatment, no significant differences were observed in inflammatory markers, except for mean corpuscular volume (MCV). Conclusion: Platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio may serve as a marker of increased inflammatory burden in pediatric patients with migraine. The age-related increase in inflammatory indices may reflect neuroinflammatory processes involved in migraine pathophysiology. These findings highlight the importance of considering age in the clinical evaluation of pediatric migraine patients.
